Why You Might Be A Desperately POOR Slob (and how to start fixing that TODAY)

Oh.

My.

Freakin'.

GOSH!!!!

What a day it was yesterday.  Oh wow, what a day; a day of incredible connecting the dots, a day of dealing with my kids who believe that ketchup is truly the Chosen Tools for Computer Keyboard Ar.  Heck, it was a day of frantically scouting about in futile search of a short enough pier off of which I could take a mile-long walk!

In other words, it was a day of glorious marketing and spiritual and Expert growth.  I'm surprised I'm still coherent today, this next morning!

I'm sure you can relate, right?  Well, perhaps not the soul-searing devilishly agonizing delightful angst of raising kids will making money online, but the "connecting the dots" aspect indeed.

Right?  Ever have ALL the answers in the back of your mind…but somehow, the mental Trail Blazer (who lives next door to your inner child) never got around to definitely carving out THE quickest road that makes the best sense.

Until now, right here, right….ummmm…..now.

Let me take you back, now, back back back, back before the earth's crust cooled, back when dinosaurs roamed the land, back when:

Hang on a sec, that's TOO back.  Let's try that one more time.

If you've been marketing online, you've probably heard the wondrous story of who got rich during the Alaskan Gold Rush.  Hint, it wasn't those who found gold!  It was …..

Well now, wait a sec.   'Course those found gold made bunches of money (assuming they weren't murdered for their claims or swindled out of their profits or….).  But now, examine closely the facts I'm about to make up!

Did you know that only 1 MILLIONTH of 1 PERCENT of all the gold-seekers – – – actually FOUND gold and made money on the Internet in the Gold Rush?  That's only 0.001%!!

But you know who did make a killing?

Tell me now…….what do ALL prospectors NEED to even START looking for gold?

You got it…….a pickaxe.

Now, a pickaxe in of and by itself doesn't GUARANTEE success.   But without it, you don't even get out of the starting gate.

So who are the folks who REALLY profited from the Gold Rush?  You got it – it was the online Internet merchants who sold all those bazillion of hopeful poor slobs…….a pickaxe.

Kinda like – – – you know who often makes bleeploads of money online today?  It's the bigdog Internet marketers who sell THEIR version of 'pickaxes' to the millions of hopeful poor slobs who yearn to become profitable online.

Are you cringing yet?

Now, certainly…….there ARE other ways of making money online in a specific niche.  You can become the acknowledged expert to whom all else flock, create your own products, compel a huge following via tremendous affiliate programs and the like (I did that in the field of Internet recruiting 'way back when, so I KNOW that works…….)

But – – – (and stay with me here, this is KEY!) – – – you can ALSO become the SOURCE of tools people in your niche desperately NEED to even BEGIN to compete.

For example, let's say that you're in the real estate marketing.  What do real estate agents NEED to compete? 

Well, a website certainly is nice.  School reports/community reports are dandy as well!  Branded welcome-wagon goodies certainly can help.  Branded literature – definitely!  Customer care followups for both home owners and home sellers……..a wondrous thing indeed!

What if instead of being a real estate agent yourself…you SELL to the zillions of other realtors……the above?

Hmmmm?

Do you see from where I'm coming?

Now, true – – – this idea requires a fundamental mind shift should you wish to dive into it.

But if you're currently 'way unsatisfied with how your online profits are rising, you should definitely consider it.

And here's 3 easy steps you can take today to start you on your journey!

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1.)  As well as being known as an expert to your customers in your niche, become an expert to fellow vendors as well.

This way, you'll be growing a list of colleagues as opposed to competitors…….plus, when you're ready to make your move, you'll ALREADY be known as THE person with ALL the answers within your niche. 

Not just for customer-related questions, mind you, but vendor-related topics too (after all, the more vendors who grow to trust you, the more opportunities you'll have to sell to them in the future).

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2.)  Start a newsletter/mailing list targeted SOLELY to vendors in your niche.

This is a nifty use of autoresponders – you can craft a free eclass or newsletter to help fellow vendors increase THEIR profits.  

Again, you're building up a new aspect of your reputation – kinda like the 'trainer of trainers'.  And this list can become pure gold once you start marketing your own brand of niche vendor tools.

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3.)  Teach yourself MASSIVE loads about owning your own affiliate marketing network

Remember my example about the pickaxes?  Given the millions of people who were lining the streets to buy these Gold Rush Tools of Doom, don't you think it would have made sense back then for the MASTER pickaxe seller to recruit vendors herself?

Hmmmm?

So the marketing train would look like:

• Master Pickaxe Merchant who

sells to

• 10 other Pickaxe Vendors who makes HUGE markups and

sells to

• direct customers

Now…….apply this to yourself.

Once you become known as the trainer of trainers, you can then recruit select folks from your network to proactively sell YOUR stuff as well.

They make money, you make money – – – what's not to like?  🙂

I myself use Rapid Action Profits for my affiliate program now and I HIGHLY urge you to consider it as well; it can really help power up your affiliates (and that's a whole 'nother post in and of itself).

Other resources for affiliate marketing include:

• Associate Programs (the 77 Free Traffic thingees is really good too!)
• Affiliate Marketing 101
• Affiliate Tip Blog

In closing, I'd like to re-iterate one simple point.

With all of the hype and froth of social networking etc., the tools and resources ARE out there for ANYONE to boldly stake their claim as THE expert in their niche….not just for customers but vendors alike.

It only requires courage for you to seize that.

And that, of course, is up to you……..give yourself permission to explore it today.

Enjoy,

Barbara Ling

ps – got questions about RAP for affiliate marketing?  Click on the picture below to learn more!